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Research Scholar, Department of Special Education, Avinashilingam University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India; Special Educator, Physio and Autism Clinic, Male, Maldives.
Controller of Examination, Department of Special Education, Avinashilingam University , Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu , India
This paper discusses how an audio-tactile learning aid is made more effective through technology, enhancing children with visual impairments' knowledge of historical sites. Conventional teaching and learning methods that include verbal descriptions and Braille usually do not provide sufficient spatial and contextual understanding, and thus limit effective learning experiences in history. To close the gap, the current study proposes a multisensory intervention combining tactile representations with an audio sequence. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was adopted, with 40 students with visual impairments from both special and inclusive schools in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, participating. The intervention was centered on the sampled historical locations, and standardized knowledge tests were used to measure learning outcomes. Paired sample t-tests showed that statistical analysis showed significant improvements in all variables at the 0.01 level. An example is that the mean female students' scores were 38.67 (SD = 2.497) in the post-test compared to 18.90 (SD = 3.032) in the pre-test (t = 26.04), and the same thing was in male students, who scored 40.79 (SD = 2.371) versus 22.37 (SD = 5.047) (t = 21.69). In the same way, students in inclusive schools showed an increase of 21.96 to 39.48 (t = 33.96), which showed the high effectiveness of the intervention. Similar improvements were found within the levels of classes and locality, which validated the strength of the strategy. The results indicate that a udio-tactile supports can have a strong impact on spatial cognition, knowledge retention, and engagement of learners. The research finds that inclusion and experiential learning in history education can be facilitated by incorporating assistive technologies in learning. Nonetheless, the issues of cost, scalability, and teacher training should be considered to expand it on a wider scale.
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